Leopold Stokowski: The Art of Orchestral Transcription
5/27/2018, 16 Tracks, 1:09:52
Featuring
Matthias Bamert
Patrick Addinall
Cynthia Millar
Peter Dixon
BBC Philharmonic
Johann Sebastian Bach
William Byrd
Jeremiah Clarke
Dietrich Buxtehude
Frédéric Chopin
Henry Purcell
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
César Franck
Dmitri Shostakovich
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Mikhail Mikhailovich Ippolitov-Ivanov
John Philip Sousa
Did you know?
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Cultural Impact
Stokowski's transcription of Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D minor became world-famous after its inclusion with the Philadelphia Orchestra in Walt Disney's classic film Fantasia (1940).
Interpretation
Matthias Bamert, assistant conductor to Stokowski, adopted some of Stokowski's methods, notably 'free bowing' in the strings, which allows individual players to achieve the required sound and phrasing by their own means.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Stokowski's orchestral transcriptions reflect his desire for rich orchestral sonorities, providing an alternative 'symphonic' view of Baroque composers.
Recording & Production
The BBC Philharmonic has made over 250 recordings with Chandos Records and sold around 900,000 albums, winning the 2014 Gramophone Concerto Award.
Composer Biography
Leopold Stokowski was the most prolific transcriber of his generation, with about two hundred orchestral transcriptions to his name.
Composer Biography
Leopold Stokowski (1882-1977) began his musical career with church appointments in London and New York, where Bach's organ works were a major part of his solo repertoire.
Compositional Technique
Stokowski's transcription of Buxtehude's Sarabande and Courante was specially made to feature the Ondes Martenot, a new 'Electrical Instrument' introduced by Maurice Martenot in 1930, which aimed to add a totally new color to the orchestral palette.
